For 1971 AMC's Javelin was completely redesigned inside and out. Already a radical departure from AMC's traditional styling, the Javelin received all new sheet metal for 1971. All the changes were not in the looks department either, according to Car and Track host Bud Lindemann the AMC offered many surprises on the track.

The Javelin had no problem with straight line performance thanks to the 330 horsepower 401 V8 under the hood which propelled the car from 0-60 in a respectable 7.1 seconds. According to Bud Lindemann, this AMC was also a handler, a point driven home when you watch the car fly through the pylon course in slow motion.